More: It appears the death toll of elephants may reach half the estimated population of 1,000 in Bouba Ndjida National Park caused by a cross border poaching raid that lasted eight weeks thanks to the ineptitude of Cameroon's government. The raiders are believed to be Sudanese and Chadian rebels seeking ivory to pay for their arms. In response to the raids, the park warden, the Governor of the Northern Province and the regional representative for the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife have been replaced. A real solution to save the remaining elephants will require cooperation between Chad and Cameroon since Sena Oura National Park in Chad borders Bouba Ndjida National Park. Not since the bad days of of the ghoul Idi Amin has there been such a wholesale slaughter of elephants. An estimated 75% of Uganda's elephants were lost during the cruelty of his rule.
{10.04.12}Cameroon's Army took on the poachers last month, but apparently lost the battle in Bouba Ndjida National Park. Ten elephants were killed during the exchange of gunfire, but poachers were unable to remove the tusks of the mostly young elephants. The gangs of poachers are armed with automatic weapons and are riding horses. Villagers say the Sudanese poachers plan to collect as much ivory as they can until the end of March. As many as 400 elephants have already been slaughtered. Cameroon's army is inexperienced in this type of operation, and authorities ignored warnings from conservationists. A similar slaughter took place in Chad's Zakouma National Park in 2005 and 2009. The incidents demonstrate the insecure borders Cameroon shares with Chad because of rebel activity. A veterinarian with the IFAW inspecting the crime scene said the elephant slaughter was indiscriminate. Trunks were removed with a machete, causing the victim to suffocate and suffer a slow, agonizing death.